Making a (Back)Splash!

The kitchen is finally almost finished.  It's been a long time coming!  When we moved in, the wall color was a deep watermelon pink color, with a mirrored backsplash. 

I know several people who have this pink color in their house, but it's a little too bright for me.  I wanted something light and cheerful, so we had it repainted a creamy yellow.  I broke out the mirrored backsplash right away, and it sat like this for an entire year:

Finally, we got moving on it.  Todd ground down the remaining glass shards...

...and we were able to find white beadboard for $15 at the local Habitat for Humanity Rehab Store - score!  Todd cut it to size...

...and I painted it a nice cream color.  We still need to find the right trim for the top edge, but that's an easy project.

Hooray for almost finished projects!  Here's another one...the front entryway.  I want to buy a coat rack to put next to the secretary, but otherwise, it's about finished.  Left side and right: 

See the photo in the bottom picture?  Those are my grandparents, right about the time they got married.  The framed stationery above the photo is from the hotel where they honeymooned.  My grandpa scrawled, "Just married!" and the date/time on it. 

That big certificate on the other side is another exciting piece for me.  It's my great grandparents' original wedding scroll from 1914.

I originally was going to have it professionally framed, but the quote I got was over $300.  Instead, I scouted around local thrift stores and found a frame for $12.  I ordered a custom matte online for $15 and put the whole thing together myself.  Quite a savings!  The items next to it?  The Western Union telegram from the Navy asking my great-grandparents if my grandpa was 'of age' to join.  Below, a letter to them from my grandpa, and there's room below for one more item.

So excited to have these things out in the open so I can see them every day!

The yard - another ongoing project.  Recently, I made another outdoor path down to the firepit.  It was absolutely leaf- and vine-covered, like the other one in the front yard:

 

Weeded:

 

Brick lined:

This fireplace space is another ongoing project for us.  Todd has been piling up all the fallen branches from the yard there, so it looks like a big messy snarl.  Still, we have big plans.  We actually made our first fire there recently:

It can be a bit hazardous by the water if you are a little apprehensive about snakes, like Todd.  He found this beauty yesterday:

It's a harmless red rat snake, very beneficial to have around. You can tell by looking at the eyes and the head shape if a snake is venomous or not.  Round pupils and roundish head?  Harmless.  Cats eye pupil and snouty nose?  Venomous. 

It feels so good to make headway on these ongoing projects!

I've been wanting a cupcake carrier for a while, but couldn't justify spending $50 for something I wouldn't use very much.  A friend ended up giving me one that she'd never used, and I can now send cupcakes to Todd's work!  I am absolutely thrilled.  

Those cupcakes you see were pretty tasty.  A standard chocolate cupcake dipped in chocolate ganache...

...while a peanut butter fudge-like frosting, similar to the inside of a buckeye, was pressed into a peanut butter cookie shape...

...and placed on top of the cupcakes.  Very soft and rich!

The original recipe is here at Annie's Eats, if you're curious!

Have a great week!